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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25568272">not a doll anymore</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightslovemail/pseuds/knightslovemail'>knightslovemail</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shumika Week 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, M/M, this is. so self indulgent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:08:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25568272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightslovemail/pseuds/knightslovemail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>No human could have been that nice to him, until he realized Mika had always been human.</p><p>Day 1 of Shumika Week 2020, the prompt I chose was Puppets/Dolls.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Itsuki Shuu/Kagehira Mika</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shumika Week 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>not a doll anymore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i know im a day late, but i just found out shumika week was this week and i wanted to try writing something! i'll try to write today's fic too, i'll probably upload it soon.</p><p>this is so, so, so self indulgent. honestly. its basically my characters analysis of shu. i care him so so much. sorry if this is a bit messy, i wrote this in like, half an hour? so yeah.</p><p>also, tw // mentions of bullying. nothing serious but its mentioned.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Everyone knew that Shu collected antique dolls, as a hobby. It was one of the things he loved the most in his world. Of course, he appreciated them all, but the one he was attached the most was to the well-known Mademoiselle. She had been there for him his whole life, and sometimes Shu thought she’ll be the only one able to understand him in this world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Dolls are much better than humans’. Shu said this a lot, leaving people confused with the strange statement. But little do people know, Shu has a reason. Dolls have never called him weird for playing with them. Dolls have never left him isolated because of his interest. Dolls never bullied him or broken his things. The only thing humans had ever done to him where horrible things, and even the person he thought he could trust the most left him behind when things got complicated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So that’s why, when he formed Valkyrie and found two unitmates, he could not see them as humans. No human would be that nice to him. Humans could betray him, he had to make sure they won’t do it again. So to him, they were dolls. If he saw them as dolls, and could control everything they’ll do, they’ll sure won’t turn against him or leave him alone, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, he learnt that wasn’t the case. Humans and dolls shouldn’t ever be compared. He thought not letting them fail was love, but he was in the wrong. Making mistakes, people learn from what they’ve done wrong, and next time they do better. Shu realized this late, unfortunately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though he still had trouble comprehending why some humans where so nice to him.. Somehow, his partner in art, Mika Kagehira, had stood by his side all this time. He did care a lot about Mika (more than he’s willing to admit), but he was terrible at showing it, how did Mika even thought of Shu’s words and actions as affection, when he was so rude no one would approach him? Well, he was glad that he got his true intention, because saying this without Mademoiselle’s help would probably the most difficult thing Shu has ever thought of doing ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like always, he pretended he didn’t care that much, but he loved when Mika was by his side. Like when they were both in the handicrafts room, and Mika was fixing some small details on the outfits or even making his own projects on the side. Sometimes Mika asked Shu for his opinion on his designs, and the way he enthusiastically talked about them and all the things he wanted to do always put Shu in a good mood. He wondered if Mika thought of him that way too, considering he was so attached to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Shu also wished Mika didn’t put himself down, calling himself a ‘failure’ or things like that. Mika was not a failure, nor a doll or a puppet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was Mika Kagehira, probably the most beautiful human Shu had ever seen.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you so much for reading! kudos and comments are always appreciated</p></blockquote></div></div>
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